Botswana Ground Force

The former heads of the Botswana Ground Force Armed Forces were referred to while in office as either General Officers Commanding or Chiefs of the Defence Staff.

The Botswana Defence Force was raised in April 1977 by an Act of Parliament called the 'BDF Act NO 13 of 1977.[2] At its formation, Lieutenant General Mompati Merafhe (retired and former Vice President of the Republic of Botswana (now deceased)) became its first Commander. The former President of the Republic of Botswana, Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama, then Brigadier, was the Deputy Commander. Unusually for an African military force, and chiefly attributable to its being founded after Botswana's independence, the Botswana Ground Force was not formed from colonial units formed by a colonising power, but rather were formed from the remains of the Botswana Mounted Police Unit, previously known as the Bechuanaland Mounted Police, a unit of the British South Africa Police.[3]

The contemporary roles of the Defence Force are broad for a conventional military, suggesting that the government of Botswana and the BDF subscribe to a wide view of ‘security’ and consider the Defence Force an appropriate agency for attaining much of it, an issue that has been discussed even in the BDF's own internal media. It is expected that the BDF in general is meant to be an apolitical instrument of the state.[4]

The current stated mission of the Botswana Ground Force is:
To defend the country and provide for the security of Botswana, participate in external security cooperation activities, and contribute in domestic support operations, with the aim of:

• Ensuring national security and stability
• Protecting the people and their properties
• Protecting the constitution of Botswana to guarantee the rule of law
• Defending Botswana's territorial integrity on land and in the air
• Preserving Botswana as a free, independent and sovereign state
• Aiding civil authorities in domestic support operations
• Strengthening Botswana's international relations by participating in regional and international security cooperation activities[5]

The commander-in-chief of the BDF is Mokgweetsi Masisi, the current President of Botswana. Answering to him is Lieutenant General Placid Segokgo.

The various units of the Botswana Ground Force are as follows:

• 1st Armoured Brigade (Gaborone)
• 1st Infantry Brigade (mechanised brigade at Gaborone)
• 2nd Infantry Brigade (motorized brigade at Francistown)
• 3rd Infantry Brigade (motorized brigade at Ghanzi)
• 1st Commando Regiment (Gaborone)
• Four independent infantry battalions
• Two armored-artillery brigades
• One combat engineering regiment
• 1 air defense battalion
• Army river-wing (including diving unit)

The BGF and the Botswana Air Force maintain the same rank system, which is loosely based on British or Commonwealth rank systems. The ranks are as follows:

Enlisted:

• Recruit
• Private
• Lance corporal
• Corporal
• Sergeant
• Staff sergeant
• Warrant officer II
• Warrant officer I
• Regiment/battalion sergeant major
• Brigade sergeant major
• Major command sergeant major
• Force sergeant major

Officers:

• Officer cadet
• Junior under officer
• Under officer
• Senior under officer
• Second lieutenant
• Lieutenant
• Captain
• Major
• Lieutenant colonel
• Colonel
• Brigadier
• Major general
• Lieutenant general

The BDF uses a wide array of modern weapons and vehicles. Its suppliers are Russia and Western nations, including Israel, Switzerland, the United States, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

In 2016 the Ministry of Defence of Botswana ordered 45 Piranha 8×8 armoured vehicles made by General Dynamics Switzerland.[6]

Make	Type	Origin	Photo	Quantity.[7]
SK-105 Kurassier	Tank	Austria		52
SK105 4K7-FA recovery tank	Tank	Austria		10
FV101 Scorpion	Light tank	United Kingdom		60
FV 103 Spartan	Infantry fighting vehicle	United Kingdom		6
MOWAG Piranha	Infantry fighting vehicle	Switzerland		50
Cadillac Gage Commando	Armoured personnel carrier	United States of America		50
ATMOS 2000	Howitzer	Israel		16
BM-21 Grad	Multiple rocket launcher	Romania		20
BTR-60	Armoured personnel carrier	Soviet Union		1 50
Véhicule Blindé Léger	Armoured car	France		64
RAM 2000	Armoured car	Israel		35
ACMAT	Armoured car	France		150
RMMV TG MIL range of trucks	Militarised commercial truck	Germany		200
Oshkosh M1070	Tank transporter	USA		?
Soltam M-71	Howitzer	Israel		18
MICA (missile)	Surface-to-air missile	France		?
L118 Light Gun	Artillery	United Kingdom		24
120mm Mortar	Artillery	United States		?
L16 81mm mortar	Artillery	United States		?
BGM-71 TOW	Anti-tank missile	United States of America		?
MILAN	Anti-tank missile	France		?
Carl Gustaf 8.4cm recoilless rifle	Recoilless rifle	Sweden		?
RPG-7	Rocket-propelled grenade launcher	Soviet Union		?
Javelin	Surface-to-air missile	United Kingdom		5 launchers
9K38 Igla	Surface-to-air missile	Soviet Union		?
M167 VADS	Anti-aircraft gun	USA		10
Type 65	Anti-aircraft gun	China		10

Small arms

Name	Type	Origin	Photo	Caliber.
FN FAL[8]	Battle rifle	Belgium		7.62×51mm NATO
SAR 21	Assault rifle	Singapore		5.56×45mm NATO
IMI Galil	Assault rifle	Israel		5.56×45mm NATO
Sterling submachine gun	Submachine gun	United Kingdom		9mm Parabellum
Bren light machine gun	Light machine gun	United Kingdom		7.62×51mm NATO
M2 Browning	Heavy machine gun	United States		12.7×99mm NATO
Barrett M82	Sniper rifle	United States		12.7×99mm NATO
Browning Hi Power	Semi-automatic pistol	Belgium		9×19mm Parabellum
FN MAG	General purpose machine gun	Belgium		7.62×51mm NATO
Uzi	Sub machine gun	Israel		9×19mm Parabellum

• International Institute for Strategic Studies (15 February 2019). The Military Balance 2019. London: Routledge. ISBN 9781857439885.
• Kenosi, Lekoko. The Botswana Defence Force and Public Trust: The Military Dilemma in a Democracy.
• Tiroyamodimo, Otitisitswe B. (December 2001). "Why is security a contested concept?". Sethamo (Botswana Defence Force Newsletter).